Ten Considerations for Advocacy Evaluation Planning

We’ve observed that advocates who are just beginning to think about evaluation often start with a long list of measures and data collection approaches. Our advice is to start small with a few carefully selected methods that have maximum potential to yield value relative to costs.

With the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT grantees are taking evaluation steps, trying things and learning, bringing the evaluators along to learn new approaches to evaluation, and thus adding to the field as a whole. And, KIDS COUNT grantees have found very real benefits in doing so.

Articulation of a theory of change and interim outcomes can help advocates and their partners formalize intentionality and reflection about their work, both as individuals and as collaborators, which can help with strategy refinement and outcome achievement over the course of a policy campaign.